Prenatal Development and the newborn: The focal point of this section was conception and the development of life before birth. I’ve read that every woman is born with a number of eggs that will later be released. Out of that number 1 in 5,000 eggs will essentially mature. Contrary to women, a man begins producing sperm at puberty, which gradually decreases along with age. During the actual conception, over 200 million sperms head towards the egg and try to break through. One is successful, the rest aren’t.
The following section focused on prenatal development. Prenatal development is …… I learned about Zygotes (fertilized egg’s), the Embryo (the zygote’s inner cells), and the fetus (the embryo after 9 weeks)is the . More
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Drinking during pregnancy is associated with a variety of problems in the offspring. “Alcohol enters the fetal bloodstream in approximately the same concentrations present in the mother’s blood.” I’ve read that the child could one day become addicted to alcohol because of the mother introducing it to the child as a fetus. I’ve also learned that “1 in 800 infants are affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” , (FAS) . “FAS can cause birth defects and mental retardation. It can cause “ (Placeholder1)head and lifelong brain abnormalities ”.
Another harmful substance that would be considered a teratogen is nicotine. Smoking during pregnancy I s hazardous! It has been linked to some 115,000 miscarriages and 5,600 infant deaths a year as well as to atopic pregnancy. I’ve learned the babies born by mothers who smoke cigarettes aren’t as healthy, they don’t receive as much nutrients, less blood oxygen, and could be born under weight. Also I believe that smoking moms are more likely to suffer from apnea (breathing lapses) and are twice as likely to die of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Also there was a study that showed children of smokers tended to be more prone to respiratory disease.
Last, I read about the Competent newborn. I’ve learned about “newborn abilities and how researchers explore infant mental abilities.” Newborns are born with a natural instinct (survival instinct). Which
At one month of pregnancy the baby is still any embryo and it is made up of two layers which will soon produce into body parts and organs. In the first two weeks of pregnancy a women isn’t actually pregnant because the women’s body is preparing for ovulation as usual. You usually ovulate (release an egg) around two weeks after the first day of your period this depends on the length of your period. Then during the third week after the first day of your last period your fertilised egg moves across the fallopian tube towards the womb. The egg starts off as a single cell but it divides multiple times. By the time the egg reaches the womb it becomes the mass of 100 cells which is known as an embryo. In the fourth week of pregnancy the embryo grows and develops in the lining of the womb. The outer cells reach out and link themselves with the mothers blood supply. The inner cells form
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a disorder that occurs when a mother consumes alcohol while pregnant. Individuals with FAS may face many problems such as, bad vision, hearing impairments, memory difficulty, communicative hurdles, and much more (Bergen & Yu, 2012). In began in 1981 when expecting mothers were advised not to drink while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). However, is 1995 4 times more mothers were consuming alcohol in comparison to a few years earlier in 1991 (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). In addition, 52 percent of women ages 18-34 claimed to have been consuming alcohol while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). The reason for a mothers decision to drink is unknown, it could possibly be that mothers have read reports
Alcohol is known as one the most dangerous teratogens. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, she allows alcohol to enter her blood stream and make its way into the placenta. Unlike the mother, the fetus is unable to break down alcohol that makes the blood alcohol level of the fetus the same or higher than the mother (Burk, 2013). Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are considered some of the most serious consequences of maternal drinking during pregnancy. Children can exhibit physical abnormalities such as a flat mid-face, a thin upper lip, a smooth groove between the nose and upper lip, along with growth retardation, and cognitive difficulties. The affected children also have cognitive difficulties which include intelligence, language, memory, and learning (Wacha & Obrzut, 2007).
Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by chronic alcohol use during pregnancy, but even occasional or binge drinking can result in birth defects (FAE and ARND). When mothers drink alcohol, the fetus receives a high concentration of alcohol, because alcohol can easily pass through the placenta, and fetuses can’t handle it as well as adults can. The worst problems are caused when mothers drink during the first trimester, because that is when most of the baby’s brain development occurs. However, there are still some developments during the second and third trimesters, so drinking even just an average amount of alcohol at any time can cause damage to the
In the article “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome- A Birth Defect Recognized Worldwide,” by Kerstin Stromland used strong clinical evidence supported by various studies to bring attention to the fact that alcohol consumed during pregnancy severely damages the neurological and physiological development of the child.
Pregnant women who drink alcohol put their child at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. This is because alcohol can quickly cross the placenta, entering the fetal bloodstream. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a lifelong condition which significantly affects the development of a baby’s brain and central nervous system.7 The spectrum of this syndrome depends on the quantity of alcohol consumed during the period of pregnancy. Babies born with FAS may have some or all of the physical facial characteristics including a thin upper lip, smooth, wide philtrum and small eye openings depending on the period of exposure to alcohol. Since babies with FAS are usually born with low birth weight, some children may have defects in the heart or suffer anomalies to the ears, liver, eyes or joints.8 Many infants with FAS are diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder and Central Auditory Processing Disorder. The characteristic features of children with FAS are usually noticed when around school age when behavioral and learning difficulties become more evident. Most children who have fetal alcohol syndrome have problems with memory, attention, impulsivity, social relationships, poor judgment and have higher rates of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).9 These issues continue into adulthood resulting in
Fetal Alcohol syndrome disorder is a serious condition, which can result in death. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a group of abnormalities in babies born to mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. It is the most common known non-genetic (non-inherited) cause of mental retardation (“Teratogens/Prenatal”, 2008). It has also been noted that paternal drinking during the conceptual period can also alter gene expression, therefore contributing to symptoms (Berk, 2014). Alcohol consumption can damage brain structures, reduce brain size, and cause abnormalities in brain function (Berk, 2014). Fetal Alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) involves physical, mental, and behavioral outcomes caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (Berk, 2014). The following
Consuming alcohol while pregnant can have a considerable life-long impact on the child, but despite this being common knowledge, fetal alcohol syndrome, FASD, continues to be a prevalent cause of developmental delays. Several social and environmental conditions can help predict the likelihood of a woman consuming alcohol while pregnant. Depending on many factors, the severity of the impact varies; however, when a child does have FASD, they face serious lifelong impairments and deficits. There are many interventions that may help children with these impacts. Yet, much more research and time is needed to analyze results.
On average, one in thirteen pregnant women have admitted to consuming one or more alcoholic beverage in their previous thirty days of pregnancy (“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders”). Though one drink may seem miniscule in the scope of an eight to nine month pregnancy, any amount of alcohol exposure can be detrimental to a developing child, leading to life-changing disorders such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Fetal alcohol syndrome, a severe potential consequence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, starts when a pregnant woman drinks an alcoholic beverage according to Mayo Clinic (“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome”). Alcohol enters the bloodstream and then can travel throughout the body. Alcohol
Common results of drinking while pregnant are still birth, miscarriage, prematurity, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Depending on what stage in fetal development the mother consumed alcohol, those organs and their function will be affected. If the mother drinks around the time the fetus’s nerves and brain is being developed, there is a higher likelihood of those organs being affected. The fetus can also develop behavioral and cognitive disabilities as it grows. The child may have learning disabilities, poor memory, speech and language delay and physical disabilities as
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) occurs when a woman consumes alcohol during their pregnancy. The birth defects of Fetal alcohol syndrome are mental retardation, and growth problems, mainly of the face of the infant. Studies have shown that human and animal results vary, regarding in utero alcohol exposures across individuals. The varying results depend on many factors, including the amount of alcohol consumed, body mass, genetics, and age of the mother. Extensive research has shown a range of behavioral, common sense, and physical impairments in children exposed to FAS. The ability to learn, language and speech delays, emotional and behavioral problems, and antisocial behavior have also been reported. To note, most studies have been performed
Consuming alcohol during pregnancy results in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The spectrum of FAS ranges from barely detectable to severe functional and cognitive birth defects. In the United States approximately 9.1 out of 1,000 live births exhibit some degree of FAS spectrum. Although excessive consumption of alcohol is considered a human teratogen the biochemical mechanism and the developmental
The search for specific maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol syndrome has been researched for more than two decades. The most obvious risk factor for FAS is alcohol. The more alcohol that a mother drinks during pregnancy, the greater the chance of the baby having the abnormalities and symptoms of FAS when born. The baby may be born with abnormalities such as microcephaly, craniofacial defects, and behavioral problems. The abnormalities that the baby is born with is dependent on the amount of alcohol that the mother drinks while pregnant (May et al).
" Prenatal exposure to alcohol can damage the developing fetus and is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities" read the
There are many defects that can happen to your child when you’re drinking while pregnant. There is a disability collectively known as fetal alcohol syndrome disorder. Alcohol also increases the risk factors such as increased risk for other pregnancy problems such as miscarriage, still birth, and preterm birth (Centers for disease control and preventions). Drinking while pregnant can affect the baby even at the beginning of the pregnancy sometimes even before the mother knows she is pregnant. Fetal Alcohol is completely preventable if the